Delayed lock control



July l?, 1934. W T BENHAM 1,967,109

DELAYED LOCK CONTROL Filed May 3, 1933 Williamfenham Muga/W Patented July 17, 1934 rvs ii ifiiE ATE@ DELAYED LOCK CN'RL Niiliam T. Benham, Norwood, (Plaie, assigner to l'nlosier Loek Company, Inc., ilcvingtcn, Ky.,

a corporation of @hic /ipplieation May 3, 1933, Seriai No. 669,221

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improved, simplied time lock device and has for an object the provision oi a structure that is sturdy and which is adaptable to either left hand or right hand side opening doors without substitution of parts, thereby making it possible for the manufacturer to minimize the stock necessary to supply customers wants.

Another object is to provide simple positively acting mechanism whereby a slide controlling movement of a lock bolt is dogged to locked position and releasable to open position only after a predetermined time delay interval of a suitable motor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a control device that is adapted to be set in operation by externally operated means and which thereafter automatically conditions the device to permit opening movement or" the slide and which furthermore automatically locks the device after a single operation of the slide.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device that is actuatable by the present day self-starting synchronous electric clock motor and which includes a small fixture for mounting on the exterior of the safe door or elsewhere eX- teriorly of the safe, said fixture constituting` a combined energizing plug-in device or other suitable switch means and a signal to apprise the operator oi the fact that the motor is in operation.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a rear elevational view of the device, with the motor removed and showing in dotted lines a means whereby the device controls operation of the slide of a combination lock, the slide oi the device being dogged to locked position by the check.

showing the slide and check in open position, the driving motor being shownin position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental rear elevational View on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view 0i the device with a closing covei` in place, parts being broken away.

Fig. 5 is a iragmental elevational view showing the slide in fully open position and releasing the latch means forming a detail of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a front eievational view of a signal and switch device forming` a detail of the invention.

Fig. '7 is a Wiring diagram including the auto- O matic signal, the external energizing switch and.

Fig. 2 is a view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, but

(Cl. 'l0-62) the interior automatic control switch of the invention.

The device or" the present invention is adapted to the control of doors of small money chests and wall safes as well as to the largest of vault doors; the device in its preferred form containing a member that is part of the slide, said member serving as a lock bolt in smaller and simpler installations, and being connectible to any other locking member as in a combination lock for controlling movement ci the same.

The device comprises a mounting plate 10 which has projecting from opposite sides thereof a pair or" extended portions 11 and 12 that are uniformly and symmetrically arranged so that the device may be applied to either left hand or right hand doors, or connected with locks applied to either oi such doors. Centrally of the plate 10 is fixed a heavy stud 13 on which is journalled a gear disc 14 meshing with a pinion 15 of a self-starting synchronous electric clock motor 16 which is secured in position on posts 17 that are secured to plate 10 in the perforations 18 and 19.

The plate 10 also has an elongated slot 20 through which current carrying wires for the motor and induced current carrying wire for the signal may pass.

The gear disc 14 has a slot 21 disposed theren on, the slot being enlarged to provide an opening 22, within which a slotted latch block 23 is reciprocally mounted on a attened pin 24. The head 25 of a screw serves to preclude accidental displacement of the release block from the recess in the disc. The release block is normally urged to one side of recess 22 by a flat spring 26 which is anchored in the reduced portion 27 oi the slot 21. It will be noted that upon rotation of gear disc 14, any obstruction to the release block will place spring 2S under tension. The latch block 23 carries a latch stud 28 which projects beyond the face oi the gear disc 1i.

When the, control device is adapted for a right hand door as illustrated in Fig. 1, the parts cooperating with the gear disc are pivoted at the left hand side of the plate l0 on the projection 12 and the slide controlling the lock or lock boit is on the right hand side.

Referring to the device as illustrated, i. e. as viewed from the rear, a block 29 is secured to extended portion 11 by means of screws 30 which are positioned in aligned pairs above and below the longitudinal center of the device. A block 31 is secured on the corresponding part of eX- tended portion l2 by means of screws 32 that 'fil gravity an are spaced in a pattern identical with that of screws in the extended portion l1. The size of blocks 29 and 3l is substantially the same. Block 29 carries a pair of upstanding yokes 33 spaced at opposite sides thereof and in which is reciprocably mount-ed slide 34, the end of which constitutes either a locking bolt or a means to which another locking bolt or a coupling bar maj,T be attached. This arrangement aioids universal adaptability to safes of all kinds from the simplest .vall safes which have a six inch (6") hand hole opening, to the largest Vault doors which `would normally employ, in addition to the evice of the invention, combination lcclrs and/'or any other type of auxiliary control for the loc-k bolts thereof. For example, as illustrated at t.-e right hand side of Fig. l, an existing combination loch 36 `having a slide 37 would be coupled by a bent arm 38 bolted as at 39 to the end 35 ot the slide and bolted at its opposite end, as at 40, to the end of the slide of the combination lock. in my co-pending application .for antibandit electric time lock, filed of even date herewith, there is illustrated a simple slide actuating handle which would be adapted without aleration, to the control of siide 34 when 34 is used as the locking bolt. Tofthis end the slide .54 has a groove 4l to tal/re an operating pin of a door handle.

The reduced end 42 of the slide is normaliy dogged to locked position by check member 43 which is pivoted on a stud 44 carried by a block 31. The check member is normally gravity urged. to locking p sitio wherein the slot 45 in the end thereof is out ci alignment with the slide ft2.

As is best seen in Fig. 3, the check has a holiowed out elongated recess 46, one 'face thereof communicating with the slot 45 at one end and co. municatinfy wi h a narrouI channel 47 at its other recess 46 and channel 47 are covered over a substantial part thereof by an attaehable plate 48 (see Fig. 3) which is secured by screws entering threaded perorations 49. FN- ciprocably n'iounted in the recess 45 and beneath f plate 48 a release block which has a stem 5l surrounded by coil spring that seats in Channel thus normally urging the release block. to the forward limit of the recess and closthe slot Reif;` .se block 50 carries a latch release stud 53 that is engaged by latch stud 2S. .isc l4 is rotated by the motor check 43 ls raised and upon continuing rotation of the dise the spring 25 is under weight of the check 43. By this means the check is elevated under the power of the motor to a position wherein the slot 45 is aligned with slide 42. As will hereinafter be described, the motor is stopped when said slot and slide are aligned. The slide may then be projected to open position, and in doing the end 42 depresses check block 50 against resistance of spring 52 thereby releasing the latch lug 28 from latch release lug 53. The spring 2G having been loaded or tensioned under the lifting action is now released so that the latch lug and latch release lug, once disengaged, cannot again engage upon. withdrawal of the slide 42. Therefore, when the slide is Withdrawn and moved to locked position, the che i member 43 drops under the influence of d the latch block remains in position until gear disc completes substantially enother revolution.

The time delay interval required for disc gear 14 to make one revolution of c urse determined by the ratio between the l eniber 14 and pinion It should be noted that the motor runs stantially no load during the major portion. oi tho operation and carries only a small load a few ounces during the remaining portion of tho operating cycle.

The automatic control of the electric motor circuit for the device is simple. An automatic control switch for the motor conssts in mounting a suitable insulated conductor plate 54 on a shelf 55 of plate 1G and mounting en plate 54 a fixed contact 56 and a binding post or terminal 57 to which one lead 58 of the motor coil 59 is connected. The remaining lead 60 from the motor coil 59 is connected to a binding post or terminal 6l. A third terminal or binding post 62 has a flexible lead 63 connected thereto. Lead 53 also connects with a movable contact G4 carried on an insulated tip 65 of a stem 55. Stem 66 passes loosely through a transverse bore in check 43 and is adjustably positioned therein by a nut 67 at the top of the check member and compresses light spring 68 at the bottom of the cheek member. .A pair or Wires 69 and 70 are connected to terminals 6l and 62, respectively, and are brought through the plete 10 by way of apertru'e 2O and through a or strong box in any suitable manually controlled switch device, which in this embodiment comprises a pair of conductor prongs '72 receivable in a plug-in socket '73 which is connectible to any source of alternating house current by a suitable length of lamp cord or cable 74. Encircling the laminated stator core 75 of the motor 16 is a coil 76, one end of which is brought out by wire 77 through the aperture 20 in plate l0 to a signal member 78 housed Within an exterior fixture 79 that is adapted to be carried on the exterior face of the safe or chest door. If desired, this xture may be disposed at any convenient exterior location, the wires 69, and 77 being conveniently brought out through the safe or chest wall to the desired location. The other end of coil '76 is grounded. The signal device in this case is a low voltage electric lamp and the illumination thereof indicates that the motor is energized and running as the lamp operates on current induced in coil '76 from the stator core. It will be understood that the simple signal device serves to appraise authorized users and/or guards of the fact that the motor is in operation for conditioning the safe, strong box, or money chest, for opening. It will also be understood that audible signal means may also be associated with or substituted for the visual lamp signal in any well known manner.

In the operation of the device, the safe or money chest Would normally have the device of the invention mounted'on the inner face of the door While the fixture 79 would be applied to the outer face of said door. When the chest is in locked position the check member 43 would be in a lowered position as shown in Fig. 1 and push socket 73 Would be detached from prongs 72. At this time contact 64 would be resting upon contact 56. When itis desired to open the safe, the circuit would be closed through wires 69, 60, coil 59, wire 53, plate 54, contacts 56 and 64, and thence through wires 62 and 70, by plugging in the member 73 onto terminal prongs 72. The motor being thus energized and the signal 78 also energized by current inducedin coil 76, the motor pinion 15 will slowly turn the disc gear 14. The latch block being normally positioned above the level of the slide 42, woul-d be carried through the counter clockwise path until it contacted lug 53, whereupon the latch block 23 would first be moved to the opposite side of aperture 22 and the spring 26 would be tensioned or loaded. After this continued rotation of disc gear 14 will raise check member 43 until slot 45 therein is aligned with the slide 42. At this moment contact 64 is lifted from contact 56 and the motor 16 and signal 78 are simultaneously de-energized, leaving the lugs 28 and 53 in engagement one with the other. After unlocking any auxiliary means such as combination lock 36, the sli-de 34 may have the restricted end 42 thereof moved into slot 45. When the slide 42 abuts latch release lug 53 and is moved further against the resistance of spring 52, the latching lug 28 moves past latch release lug 53 under the influence oi spring 26, which is thus enabled to act upon latch block 23. The beginning of the release movement is clearly shown in Fig. 3 while the completely retracted slide 42 is shown in Fig. 5, wherein release block 50 is shown in a completely depressed state. The door 71 may now be opened and closed as often as desired without again locking it, if the attendant so desires. During the normal course of the -days business the door would be left closed but unlocked while the attendant is present. The attendant would immediately disconnect socket member 73 from the prongs 72 after the device was conditioned for unlocking and would, under no circumstances, again have occasion to energize the device except after having moved the slide 42 to a locked position. However, even though he neglected to disconnect the lines 69--70 from the source of current supply, he would be reminded oi the fact immediately upon locking the safe. There would thus be a necessary time delay interval between each locking and opening movement or" the slide 42 so that at any time when the attendant becomes suspicious of persons present, he need merely actuate the means for withdrawing slide 42 from slot 45 after which the slide will be instantly dogged in locking position and cannot again be manipulated to open position without the motor and disc gear rst having completed their normal cycle of operation which would reduire a time interval of 15 to 20 minutes, for example, a delay which is normally considered a complete deterrent to daylight robbery or surreptitious theft. It will also be noted that the delay in the opening of the device by unauthorized persons, for example, a bandit, would be extended by such an amount of time as would be required for such bandit to appraise himself of the necessary operations to initiate operation of the motor.

As previously indicated, the device of the invention is adapted for ready assembly to use on either right hand or left hand doors. The operati-ons necessary to convert the device shown in Fig. 1, to use in a reverse location, would consist simply in removing the screws 30 from plate 29 and also removing the screws 32 from plate 31 and transposing plates 29 and 31 on the extending portions 11 and 12. The only other requisite change would consist in swinging the check 43 about its axis and reversing the rod 66 end for end therein by removing nut 67 and eiecting the change. The motor used would necessarily have to be arranged for opposite rotation from that employed in the device illustrated.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination a slotted pivoted check member, a motor driven member to raise the check member, a motor for driving said member, a con trol device including a switch to stop the motor when the check member is raised to predetermined position, a slide receivable in the slot in the check member in said predetermined position, a latch member operative to hold the check member in elevated position and releasablc by movement of the slide into the slot in the check member, whereby the check member is retained in elevated position by the slide and is released to lowered position when the slide is withdrawn.

2. In a control device the combination of a plate structure adapted for mounting on the inner face of a door, a plate, a slotted check member pivoted thereon, a second plate, a slide member reciprocably mounted thereon, said plate members being interchangeably mounted at opposite sides or" one face of the plate structure, a toothed disc mounted intermediate said plates a latch block and lug resilientiy mounted on said disc, a latch release block and lug yieldably mounted on the check member, the lugs being adapted for contact on predetermined rotation of the disc whereby further rotation of the disc effects movement of the check member, a motor for driving the disc, and a control switch automatically opened by movement of the check member to predetermined position.

3. In combination with a lock slide and a check member pivoted at one end and having its free end movable to positions for dogging the slide to locked position and for releasing the slide lf for opening movement, of a self-starting synchronous electric motor for moving the check member from the rst mentioned position to the second mentioned position, exteriorly operable means for energizing the motor, a control switch 1 for automatically de-energizing the motor when the check member is moved to the second mentioned position, and a latch member for retaining the check member in said second mentioned position and releasable by opening movement of the slide to permit return of the check member to dogging position upon subsequent withdrawal of the slide.

4. In a device of the class described the combination of a self-starting synchronous electric fr.

motor, a manually operable means for energizing the motor, a lock controlling slide, slotted check member pivoted at one end and normally clogging the slide to locked position and movable to position wherein the slide may be moved into the slot to open position, a control switch supported by the check means and adapted to be automatically opened by movement of the check means to said last mentioned position ior deenergizing said motor, and latch means operative for holding the check means in the last mentioned position, said slide releasing the latch means as the slide is moved into the slot to open position.

5. In a device of the class described the com- 1'* bination of a self-starting synchronous electric motor, a manually operable means for energizing the motor, a lock controlling slide, slotted check means normally clogging the slide to locked position and movable to position wherein the slide may be moved into the slot to open position, a control switch member carried by the check means and adapted to be automatically opened by movement of the check means to said last mentioned position for de-energizing said motor, and latch means operative for holding the check means in the last mentioned position, said slide releasing the latch means as the slide is moved into the slot to open position.

6. In a control device the combination of a rotary member, a latch lug mounted for yieldable slidable movement on said rotary member, a siotted check member pivoted at one side of the rotary member, a reciprocable slide mounted at the other side of said rotary member, a latch member carried bythe check member and engageable by the latch lug on the rotary member for moving the check member to position wherein the slide may enter the slot in the check member, a motor for driving the rotary member, and a control switch actuated by movement of the check member for de-energizing the motor when the slot in the check member is aligned with the slide, the latch means being automatically reieasable upon movement of the slide into the slot.

'7. In a delayed locked control mechanism the combination of a reciprocable lock controlling slide, a check member pivoted at one end and having its opposite end normally disposed to block opening movement of said slide, an exteriorly energizable electric motor, a member rotatable thereby, a yieldably mounted lng carried by said last mentioned member, a yieldably reciprocable lug on the check member engageable by the luer on the rotatable member for raising the check member to a position permitting opening movement of the slide, and a switch movable by the check member to (le-energize the motor automatically upon movement of the check means to the last mentioned position.

8. In a device of the class described the combination of a motor driven rotary member, a motor for driving the same, an elongated check member pivoted at its one end adjacent the periphery of the rotary member and extending across the rotary member, a lug yieldably and reciprocably supported on the check member, a lug yieldably mounted on the rotary member and adapted to engage the rst mentioned lug' for raising the check member, a switch means including a yieldable switch member carried by thc check member for cle-energizing the motor when the check member is raised to a predetermined position by said lugs, the lugs serving to retain the check member in the last mentioned position and jf':

a slide member movable to release the lug on the check member from engagement with the lng on the rotary member and to support the check member.

WILLIAM T. BENHAM. 

